# A Brookline Triple-Decker: Refinishing 100-Year-Old Red Oak | Mago Flooring

Source: https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/a-brookline-triple-decker-refinishing-100-year-old-red-oak

Sometimes the best new floor is the one already in your house. A look at how we brought a century of original hardwood back to life — without losing the soul of the home.

[Home](https://www.magoflooring.com/) / [Blog](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog) / Project StoriesProject Stories

# A Brookline Triple-Decker: Refinishing 100-Year-Old Red Oak

By Mago Flooring TeamMarch 8, 20261 min read

In this article[The Discovery](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/a-brookline-triple-decker-refinishing-100-year-old-red-oak/#section-1)[The Plan](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/a-brookline-triple-decker-refinishing-100-year-old-red-oak/#section-2)[The Stain Decision](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/a-brookline-triple-decker-refinishing-100-year-old-red-oak/#section-3)[Finish](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/a-brookline-triple-decker-refinishing-100-year-old-red-oak/#section-4)Copy article link ↗

Walking into the second-floor unit of a 1920s Brookline triple-decker, the floors were almost black with old finish, scarred from decades of furniture, and cupping near the radiators.

## The Discovery

Underneath layers of darkened polyurethane was original red oak, narrow strip, in remarkable condition.

## The Plan

We mapped cupped sections, replaced two damaged boards, and weave-patched a missing section using salvaged boards from under built-ins.

## The Stain Decision

The owner wanted to honor the home's age without going dark. We landed on a custom mix — slightly warmer than natural, with a touch of brown to mute the orange tone red oak develops over time.
The best refinishing jobs don't look like new floors. They look like the floors the house was always supposed to have.

## Finish

Three coats of water-based polyurethane in satin. Less yellowing than oil-based, faster cure, and closer to the matte look the owner remembered from her grandmother's house.

[Request a free walkthrough](https://www.magoflooring.com/request-free-quote-home-estimate).

project storyrefinishingbrooklinehistoric[← Back to all articles](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog)

## A little more inspiration.
[Explore the blog ↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog)

[↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/how-to-choose-the-right-hardwood-for-your-new-england-home)

HardwoodApril 22, 2026

## [How to Choose the Right Hardwood for Your New England Home](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/how-to-choose-the-right-hardwood-for-your-new-england-home)

New England weather is hard on floors. Here's how to pick a species, finish, and grade that will hold up to humidity swings, snowy boots, and decades of family life.
[Read the article ↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/how-to-choose-the-right-hardwood-for-your-new-england-home)

[↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/why-luxury-vinyl-plank-has-quietly-taken-over-massachusetts-homes)

Vinyl & LVPApril 15, 2026

## [Why Luxury Vinyl Plank Has Quietly Taken Over Massachusetts Homes](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/why-luxury-vinyl-plank-has-quietly-taken-over-massachusetts-homes)

LVP isn't the cheap vinyl your grandmother had in the kitchen. Today's waterproof planks look indistinguishable from real wood and survive almost anything you throw at them.
[Read the article ↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/why-luxury-vinyl-plank-has-quietly-taken-over-massachusetts-homes)

[↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/refinishing-vs-replacing-hardwood-how-to-know-which-you-actually-need)

RefinishingApril 8, 2026

## [Refinishing vs. Replacing Hardwood: How to Know Which You Actually Need](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/refinishing-vs-replacing-hardwood-how-to-know-which-you-actually-need)

Tired-looking floors don't always need replacement. In most cases, sand-and-refinish gets you a brand-new floor at a fraction of the cost — but there are limits.
[Read the article ↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/magoflooring-blog/refinishing-vs-replacing-hardwood-how-to-know-which-you-actually-need)Continue your project

[Hardwood refinishing — sand & renew↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/massachusetts-floor-refinishing)[Hardwood floor recoating↗](https://www.magoflooring.com/hardwood-recoating)